Python extension fails to select Conda/Anaconda environment ("Invalid Python interpreter" & t.runInTerminal error) #26087

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1. github-actions

   added

   triage-neededNeeds assignment to the proper sub-teamNeeds assignment to the proper sub-team

   on Aug 1, 2026
2. abtxph01 commented on Aug 1, 2026

   

   abtxph01 (abtxph01)

   on Aug 1, 2026

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   I reported this initially on StackOverflow. See this post here with the steps I tried to solve it:
   https://stackoverflow.com/questions/79989245/vs-code-python-extension-fails-to-set-anaconda-base-interpreter-invalid-python
3. abtxph01 (abtxph01)

   marked Python extension fails to select Conda/Anaconda environment ("Invalid Python interpreter" & t.runInTerminal error) #26088 as a duplicate of this issue on Aug 1, 2026
4. vs-code-engineering

   assigned

   Karthik Nadig (karthiknadig)

   on Aug 1, 2026
5. vs-code-engineering

   removed

   triage-neededNeeds assignment to the proper sub-teamNeeds assignment to the proper sub-team

   on Aug 1, 2026
6. abtxph01 commented on Aug 1, 2026

   

   abtxph01 (abtxph01)

   on Aug 1, 2026

   Last edited by abtxph01

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   Hi Eleanor Boyd (@eleanorjboyd),

   Sorry for opening this in vscode-python again—I saw your feedback on my Q&A for this issue too late!

   Here are the requested diagnostics and additional findings for this bug:

   1. Python Environments Extension Version: v1.36.0
   2. Key Finding (Folder vs. No-Folder):
      • Opening the enclosing folder as a workspace (e.g. Downloads folder): Selection works fine and code executes without issues.
      • Opening the exact same .py file standalone (no-folder window): Selection fails with "An Invalid Python interpreter is selected..." and the status bar remains yellow with "Select Python Interpreter".

   PET Output (pet find --verbose):

   PS C:\Users<username>> & c:\Users<username>.vscode\extensions\ms-python.vscode-python-envs-1.36.0-win32-x64\python-env-tools\bin\pet.exe find --verbose
   0.003151400s WARN pet_windows_registry::environments: Failed to open HKLM\Software\Python, Os { code: 2, kind: NotFound, message: "The system cannot find the file specified." }
   0.004807500s WARN pet_conda::package: Unable to find conda package Conda in "C:\Users\\anaconda3", trying slower approach
   0.010509600s WARN pet_conda::package: Unable to find conda package Python in "C:\Users\\anaconda3", trying slower approach
   0.012874500s WARN pet_conda::package: Unable to find conda package Conda in "C:\Users\\anaconda3", trying slower approach
   0.013128900s WARN pet_windows_registry::environments: Failed to open HKLM\Software\Python, Os { code: 2, kind: NotFound, message: "The system cannot find the file specified." }
   0.014925300s WARN pet_conda::package: Unable to find conda package Conda in "C:\Users\\anaconda3", trying slower approach
   0.081026100s WARN pet_conda::package: Unable to find conda package Python in "C:\Users\\anaconda3", trying slower approach

   Breakdown by each locator:

   Conda : 79.3494ms
   Hatch : 708.4µs
   PipEnv : 747.5µs
   Pixi : 200ns
   Poetry : 1.5536ms
   PyEnv : 708.8µs
   Uv : 293.1µs
   Venv : 100ns
   VirtualEnv : 1.4µs
   VirtualEnvWrapper : 100ns
   WinPython : 86.8µs
   WindowsRegistry : 13.6803ms
   WindowsStore : 270.1µs

   Breakdown for finding Environments:

   GlobalVirtualEnvs : 5.7777ms
   Locators : 79.9531ms
   Path : 6.5126ms
   Workspaces : 21.6089ms

   Environment Paths:

   Conda:

   • C:\Users<username>\anaconda3\python.exe
   • C:\Users<username>\anaconda3\envs\CondaEnv\python.exe

   Managers:

   Conda : 1

   Environments (2):

   Conda : 2

   Completed in 84ms
7. Karthik Nadig (karthiknadig)

   assigned

   Eleanor Boyd (eleanorjboyd)

   and unassigned

   Karthik Nadig (karthiknadig)

   on Aug 3, 2026
8. hugo-jz commented on Aug 14, 2026

   

   hugo-jz

   on Aug 14, 2026

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   I have the same exact issue after a fresh Anaconda and VS Code install. Is there a fix/workaround yet?
9. Matsunhong commented on Aug 19, 2026

   

   Matsunhong

   on Aug 19, 2026

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   I encountered a very similar “Invalid Python interpreter” issue on Windows, but in my case the root cause turned out to be broken ACL inheritance in an All Users Anaconda installation under C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3.

   Environment

   • VS Code 1.133.0 (User Setup)
   • Reproduced with Python extension 2026.4.0 and 2025.16.0
   • Anaconda installed at C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3
   • Conda environments stored under C:\Users\<username>\.conda\envs

   Symptoms

   • VS Code could discover the Conda environments.
   • Selecting an environment showed the correct interpreter path in the Python output log, but VS Code still reported “Invalid Python interpreter”.
   • The environment python.exe files themselves worked correctly when launched directly.
   • Running VS Code as Administrator completely fixed the problem and allowed switching between all Conda environments.

   That last point led me to check Conda's filesystem permissions. From a normal (non-elevated) Command Prompt:

   "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda.exe" --version
   
   initially returned:
   
   Access is denied.
   
   icacls showed that conda.exe did not inherit the normal BUILTIN\Users:(RX) permission. It only had entries such as:
   
   BUILTIN\Administrators:(F)
   NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(F)
   NT AUTHORITY\LogonSessionId_...:(RX)
   
   After re-enabling inheritance on conda.exe, the error moved to conda-script.py. After fixing that, it moved again to:
   
   C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\conda\__init__.py
   PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied
   
   So this was not a single-file problem; ACL inheritance was broken across multiple files in the Anaconda installation.
   
   I backed up the ACLs and recursively re-enabled inheritance:
   
   icacls "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3" /save "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\anaconda_acl_backup.txt" /T /C
   icacls "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3" /inheritancelevel:e /T /C
   
   After that, conda.exe worked normally from a non-elevated Command Prompt, and VS Code could once again switch between Conda interpreters without being run as Administrator.
   
   So for anyone seeing this error—especially with an All Users Anaconda install under C:\ProgramData—it may be worth checking whether the current non-admin user can actually execute Conda:
   
   icacls "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda.exe"
   "C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\Scripts\conda.exe" --version
   
   In my case this was a Windows filesystem permission / ACL inheritance issue rather than a broken Conda environment. This may be a separate root cause from the original report, since the original reporter noted that running VS Code as Administrator did not help.
10. lraugustin commented on Aug 25, 2026

    

    Lukas Augustin (lraugustin)

    on Aug 25, 2026

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    Exactly the same issue here, looking forward to a solution